I’m a little surprised no one’s made a movie out of this Alan Moore story yet.

For this week’s “Adapt This” column, I recommended Alan Moore and Curt Swan’s popular Superman story Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? as a potential animated feature. DC’s had a lot of success with their line of full-length animated movies based on fan-favorite storylines, and with the Watchmen author becoming a household name these days, the decision to adapt this story makes a lot of sense (to me, at least).

Here’s an excerpt from the column:

Right from the start, an animated take on Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? would seem to hit all the right niches when it comes to audience appeal. Not only does it feature a wide array of supporting characters — including most of Superman’s rogues gallery and cameos from the other members of the Justice League — but it also has the benefit of presenting a well-known, celebrated story about one of the most popular superheroes in the world, written by one of the few comic-book authors to become a household name.

Beyond the obvious mainstream appeal and promotional benefits, there’s also the all-important fact that Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is one hell of a Superman story, too. Blending an old-school, larger-than-life superhero brawl with the pathos of its hero making his final stand while surrounded by family and friends, Moore’s tale is a testament to everything that’s great about Superman and his adventures. Brought to life in animated form, the story will likely have that same generation-spanning appeal — something that seems to be a common thread among the projects selected for DC’s line of animated features.

Bio

Rick Marshall is a professional geek, full-time journalist, occasional photographer, indentured servant to incestuous cats, unwilling party host, speedy talker, obsessive story collector, and most importantly, a dad. This is his personal blog.